Lesotho and South Africa on a Fulbright scolarship in Economics. Got the Fulbright stuff out of the way in a couple of months and was picked up as a freelance foreign investment consultant by Barclays Bank in Lesotho. (My professional assessment was: you're f*cked. Nobody in their right mind would invest in the 4th World pit that was Lesotho. Of course I made that decision require several months' investigation, lunches, travel, etc.)
Played cricked for the Lesotho national team (really not a big deal) and toured all over southern Africa with the team or solo. Boozed my way through the year (it's not a joke when people sent to these parts of the world are warned that alcoholism is an "occupational hazard"), but didn't whore around -- Africa. HIV. You do the math. Though I had a fiancee who came over from the States for the last five months of my stay, which took the edge off.
All in all, a year that will be remembered fondly and related through colorful anecdotes in my memoirs. Reserve your copy now.
JP